Two major regional centers located on the most iconic Russian river no longer just boast of river-caught fish. For several years, Kazan has been one of the must-go places for gourmets in the country. Their chefs are known far beyond the region, and their restaurants are among the best in the country. Samara may still be a beginner in gastronomic terms, but it is gaining momentum very quickly! So if you are looking for where to go in the near future, add these two cities to your list.
You can read the first two parts of the gastronomy guide to Russian cities here and here.
We warn you right away: Do not read this on an empty stomach! At least stock up on coffee and cakes.
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Restaurants of modern cuisine, including those based on traditional Tatar cuisine, are rapidly developing in the capital of Tatarstan, and there are also many good wine bars. The main gastronomic street of Kazan is Profsoyuznaya. You can walk over it and choose where to look right now by looking at businesses. However, we will share suggestions so that you do not get lost in the elections.
Specialty coffee at Botanica, branded bagels at Early Bird, and all-day breakfast at Smorodina
Those who cannot live without good coffee will definitely like Kazan: there is an excellent selection of coffee shops with their own roasted coffee. For example, have breakfast at Early Bird, the second coffee house of the pioneers of the coffee industry in Kazan. For coffee, grab a hit menu—a bagel with baked cheese, tomatoes, and basil—or börek with scrambled and avocado mousse, or Turkish eggs with cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and eggplant.
If you prefer filter coffee, choose Botanica: complete with cheesecakes with jam or make a complex breakfast. For late risers, we recommend going to one of the Smorodina confectionery – breakfasts are served there all day.
Addresses:
“Early bird”. st. Astronomicheskaya, 17
“Botanical”. st. Zhukovsky, 6
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Modern interpretation of Tatar cuisine at Artel, onion soup at Kultur, beauty inside and out at Branch
There are many popular cafes, bistros and restaurants in the city where you can both have a quick meal and spend a few hours eating and drinking while looking out the window. For example, head to Branch: one of the city’s finest restaurants also has stunning views of Black Lake Park. Order the sturgeon soup, the eel and mushroom risotto, and the beluga terrine with truffle cream and potato mousse.
You should definitely go to Artel to try the modern version of Tatar cuisine by the famous local chef Bulat Ibragimov. He knows very well how to handle local products. At least try katyk, Turkish okroshka with lamb and mint, smoked sea bream paste and kystyby with zucchini and smoked horse meat.
Located in a pre-revolutionary bread market, Kultura offers dishes from around the world, from onion soup and mini squid scrambled eggs to spicy Chinese salad with chicken and duck fillet with tortillas and vegetables. If you come here on a weekday, you will have lunch with sparkling wine.
Addresses:
branch. st. Dzerzhinsky, 6B
“Artel”. st. Customer, 18
“Culture”. st. Profsoyuznaya, 12
Best Tatar food in Chirem, newest Ichi-go restaurant in Chicheti and favorite Italian food
To taste traditional Tatar cuisine at its best, head to the Chirem restaurant: echpochmak, dry goose, kyzdyrma – take veal with potatoes and be sure to eat desserts. Take care of your stomach!
If you want trendy, beautiful and cocktails, the new Pan-Asian restaurant Ichi-go is for you. Fans of Italian cuisine should check out the neighborhood – at Chicheti Italo Bistro. Here is the perfect Roman pizza (take, for example, a pizza with Tambov ham and stracciatella), antipasti-worthy macaroni – cheeses stand out among the latter. Leave room for coffee with tiramisu!
Addresses:
“Secret”. Sheinkman Street, 5
Ichi-go. hourI. Bauman, 9A
Chicheti Italo Bistro. st. Bauman, 9A
Samara
Boasting lots of German architecture and a long embankment running along the Volga, the city has something to surprise lovers of delicious food – and it’s not just beer and fish caught in the river, you’ll definitely find them here at their best. .
Poppy seed desserts and crab with caviar at Carrie at Lobby Bar Imperial
In Carrie cafes, there are poached eggs and salmon and sweet, raspberry and chocolate, as well as feta muffins and trendy sweet buns with basil and cottage cheese with salmon. For coffee, grab a poppy seed cake or curd ring! Breakfasts at Lobby Bar Imperial are served with the motto “You cannot forbid living well”. Here and an omelet with crab and caviar sauce, as well as crab brioche and pancakes with different types of caviar, and Viennese waffles and bruschetta. Gotta go try it!
Addresses:
“Career”. Dachnaya, 2. Moskovskoe sh., 252, SEC “Cosmoport”
Lobby Bar Imperial. hourI. Samarskaya, 200A
Homemade Georgian khachapuri in Puri, a tribute to the history of the city on Kuhmisterskaya, and a summer terrace secluded on the embankment
Get borscht with matsoni or khinkali with marbled beef at a cozy little Georgian cafe in the historical part of Puri city. Josper dishes are also good here – for example, chakhokhbili from homemade chicken cooked in josper. Bonus: a large selection of wines and an unusual feijoa chacha.
You can also dine in a place with great history: Alfred von Vacano’s Kitchen is housed in a 1903 restaurant building owned by Austrian Alfred von Vacano, founder of the Zhiguli brewery. It has been recently restored and now features a 1903 gastropub with Volga snacks and Austrian food, and the Alfred restaurant with its pretense of luxury and cuisine from local farm produce. In the first one you can get the shrimp crayfish bisque, in the second you can get the sterlett fish soup from the merchant Vakano and the coho salmon with caviar.
If hunger catches you while walking the Volga embankment, head to Tet-A-Tet, sit on the summer porch overlooking the river and order oysters, crayfish carpaccio, Magadan shrimp or octopus salad. And ice white for instant cooling.
Addresses:
Puri. hourI. Kuibyshev, 79
“Kukhmister Alfred von Vacano”. hourI. Krasnoarmeyskaya, 4
“Tete-A-Tete”. hourI. Maxim Gorky, 1
Wine tasting at Vinoterria, pasta at W and panasia at Idol
Vinoterria is also a restaurant, vinotheque, wine bar and gastronomic boutique. Wine lovers definitely come here – here’s the city’s biggest selection. The menu features Mediterranean classics sprinkled with dishes popular in Russia, such as avocado salad and sashimi tataki. Another good place to have pasta and seafood is W.
For a fun atmosphere, trendy cocktails and Pan-Asian food, head to Idol Tiki Bar.
Addresses:
vinotaria. hourI. Nekrasovskaya, 50
W. hourI. Nekrasovskaya, 94
Idol. hourI. Molodogvardeyskaya, 66
Source: People Talk
